Opistognathidae
Encyclopedia
Opistognathidae commonly referred to as jawfishes, are classified within Order Perciformes
, Suborder Percoidei
. They are found throughout shallow reef areas of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, and the Gulf of Mexico.
Physically similar to blennies, jawfish are generally smaller-sized fish with an elongated body plan. Their heads, mouths, and eyes are large in size relative to the rest of their bodies. Jawfish possess a single, long dorsal fin
with 9-12 spines and a caudal fin that can be either rounded or pointed.
Jawfish typically reside in burrows that they construct in sandy substrate. They will stuff their mouth with sand and spit it out elsewhere, slowly creating a tunnel. Utilizing the protection of these burrows, these fish will hover feeding on plankton
or other small organisms, ready to dart back in at the first sign of danger. They are territorial of the area around their burrows.
Jawfish are mouthbrooders meaning that their eggs hatch in their mouths, where the new-born fry are able to be protected from predators.
Perciformes
The Perciformes, also called the Percomorphi or Acanthopteri, is one of the largest orders of vertebrates, containing about 40% of all bony fish. Perciformes means perch-like. They belong to the class of ray-finned fish and comprise over 7,000 species found in almost all aquatic environments...
, Suborder Percoidei
Percoidei
Percoidei is one of eighteen suborders of bony fish in the order Perciformes. Many commercially harvested fish species are contained in this suborder, including the snappers, jacks, whitings, groupers, bass, perches and porgies.-Divisions:...
. They are found throughout shallow reef areas of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, and the Gulf of Mexico.
Physically similar to blennies, jawfish are generally smaller-sized fish with an elongated body plan. Their heads, mouths, and eyes are large in size relative to the rest of their bodies. Jawfish possess a single, long dorsal fin
Dorsal fin
A dorsal fin is a fin located on the backs of various unrelated marine and freshwater vertebrates, including most fishes, marine mammals , and the ichthyosaurs...
with 9-12 spines and a caudal fin that can be either rounded or pointed.
Jawfish typically reside in burrows that they construct in sandy substrate. They will stuff their mouth with sand and spit it out elsewhere, slowly creating a tunnel. Utilizing the protection of these burrows, these fish will hover feeding on plankton
Plankton
Plankton are any drifting organisms that inhabit the pelagic zone of oceans, seas, or bodies of fresh water. That is, plankton are defined by their ecological niche rather than phylogenetic or taxonomic classification...
or other small organisms, ready to dart back in at the first sign of danger. They are territorial of the area around their burrows.
Jawfish are mouthbrooders meaning that their eggs hatch in their mouths, where the new-born fry are able to be protected from predators.
Species
, there are sixty described species in four genera. There are thought to be many undescribed species.- Genus Lonchopisthus
- Lonchopisthus higmani Mead, 1959.
- Lonchopisthus lemur (Myers, 1935).
- Lonchopisthus lindneri Ginsburg, 1942.
- Swordtail jawfish, Lonchopisthus micrognathus (PoeyFelipe Poey-Biography:Poey was born in Havana, the son of French and Spanish parents. He spent several years of his life in Pau then studied law in Madrid. He became a lawyer in Spain but was forced to leave due to his liberal ideas, returning to Cuba in 1823. He began to concentrate on the study of the...
, 1860). - Longtailed jawfish, Lonchopisthus sinuscalifornicus Castro-Aguirre & Villavicencio-Garayzar, 1988.
- Genus Merogymnoides
- Merogymnoides carpentariae Whitley, 1966.
- Genus OpistognathusOpistognathusOpistognathus is a genus of jawfish in the Opistognathidae family. Species within this genus are:* Whitetail jawfish, Opistognathus albicaudatus Smith-Vaniz, 2011* Yellowhead jawfish, Opistognathus aurifrons ....
- Opistognathus adelus Smith-Vaniz, 2010.
- Yellowhead jawfishYellowhead jawfishThe Yellow-headed jawfish is found in coral reefs in the Caribbean Sea. The head and upper body are a light, but brilliant, yellow color slowly fading to a pearlescent blue hue...
, Opistognathus aurifrons (JordanDavid Starr JordanDavid Starr Jordan, Ph.D., LL.D. was a leading eugenicist, ichthyologist, educator and peace activist. He was president of Indiana University and Stanford University.-Early life and education:...
& Thompson, 1905). - Darkfin jawfish, Opistognathus brasiliensis Smith-Vaniz, 1997.
- Opistognathus castelnaui BleekerPieter BleekerPieter Bleeker was a Dutch medical doctor and ichthyologist, famous for his work on the fishes of East Asia – Atlas Ichthyologique des Orientales Neerlandaises – which was published 1862–1877....
, 1860. - Bartail jawfishBartail jawfishThe bartail jawfish , also called phantom jawfish, is a species of fish in the Opistognathidae family....
, Opistognathus cuvierii ValenciennesAchille ValenciennesAchille Valenciennes was a French zoologist.Valenciennes was born in Paris, and studied under Georges Cuvier. Valenciennes' study of parasitic worms in humans made an important contribution to the study of parasitology...
, 1836. - Darwin jawfish, Opistognathus darwiniensis (Macleay, 1878).
- Opistognathus decorus Smith-Vaniz & Yoshino, 1985.
- Opistognathus dendriticus (JordanDavid Starr JordanDavid Starr Jordan, Ph.D., LL.D. was a leading eugenicist, ichthyologist, educator and peace activist. He was president of Indiana University and Stanford University.-Early life and education:...
& RichardsonJohn Richardson (naturalist)Sir John Richardson was a Scottish naval surgeon, naturalist and arctic explorer.Richardson was born at Dumfries. He studied medicine at Edinburgh University, and became a surgeon in the navy in 1807. He traveled with John Franklin in search of the Northwest Passage on the Coppermine Expedition of...
, 1908). - Opistognathus evermanni (JordanDavid Starr JordanDavid Starr Jordan, Ph.D., LL.D. was a leading eugenicist, ichthyologist, educator and peace activist. He was president of Indiana University and Stanford University.-Early life and education:...
& SnyderJohn Otterbein SnyderJohn Otterbein Snyder was an American zoologist.As a student he met David Starr Jordan who inspired him to enter zoology. He eventually became a zoology instructor at Stanford University and served there from 1899 until 1943. He went on several major collecting expeditions aboard the USS Albatross...
, 1902). - Opistognathus eximius (OgilbyWilliam OgilbyWilliam Ogilby was an Irish barrister and naturalist.Ogilby was honorary secretary of the Zoological Society of London from 1839 to 1846....
, 1908). - Opistognathus fenmutis Acero P. & Franke, 1993.
- Galapagos jawfish, Opistognathus galapagensis Allen & Robertson, 1991.
- Yellow jawfish, Opistognathus gilberti Böhlke, 1967.
- Opistognathus hongkongiensis (Chan, 1968).
- Opistognathus hopkinsi (JordanDavid Starr JordanDavid Starr Jordan, Ph.D., LL.D. was a leading eugenicist, ichthyologist, educator and peace activist. He was president of Indiana University and Stanford University.-Early life and education:...
& SnyderJohn Otterbein SnyderJohn Otterbein Snyder was an American zoologist.As a student he met David Starr Jordan who inspired him to enter zoology. He eventually became a zoology instructor at Stanford University and served there from 1899 until 1943. He went on several major collecting expeditions aboard the USS Albatross...
, 1902). - Black jawfish, Opistognathus inornatus (Ramsay & OgilbyWilliam OgilbyWilliam Ogilby was an Irish barrister and naturalist.Ogilby was honorary secretary of the Zoological Society of London from 1839 to 1846....
, 1887). - Opistognathus iyonis (JordanDavid Starr JordanDavid Starr Jordan, Ph.D., LL.D. was a leading eugenicist, ichthyologist, educator and peace activist. He was president of Indiana University and Stanford University.-Early life and education:...
& Thompson, 1913). - Smiler, Opistognathus jacksoniensis (Macleay, 1881).
- Blotched jawfish, Opistognathus latitabundus (Whitley, 1937).
- Roughcheek jawfish, Opistognathus leprocarus Smith-Vaniz, 1997.
- Opistognathus liturus Smith-Vaniz & Yoshino, 1985.
- Moustache jawfish, Opistognathus lonchurusOpistognathus lonchurusOpistognathus lonchurus is a jawfish from the Western Atlantic. It occasionally makes its way into the aquarium trade. It grows to a size of 10 cm in length....
(JordanDavid Starr JordanDavid Starr Jordan, Ph.D., LL.D. was a leading eugenicist, ichthyologist, educator and peace activist. He was president of Indiana University and Stanford University.-Early life and education:...
& Gilbert, 1882). - Banded jawfish, Opistognathus macrognathus (PoeyFelipe Poey-Biography:Poey was born in Havana, the son of French and Spanish parents. He spent several years of his life in Pau then studied law in Madrid. He became a lawyer in Spain but was forced to leave due to his liberal ideas, returning to Cuba in 1823. He began to concentrate on the study of the...
, 1860). - Opistognathus macrolepis (Peters, 1866).
- Halfscaled jawfish, Opistognathus margaretae Smith-Vaniz, 1984.
- Mottled jawfish, Opistognathus maxillosus (PoeyFelipe Poey-Biography:Poey was born in Havana, the son of French and Spanish parents. He spent several years of his life in Pau then studied law in Madrid. He became a lawyer in Spain but was forced to leave due to his liberal ideas, returning to Cuba in 1823. He began to concentrate on the study of the...
, 1860). - Largesacle jawfish, Opistognathus megalepis Smith-Vaniz, 1972.
- Yellowmouth jawfish, Opistognathus melachasme Smith-Vaniz, 1972.
- Mexican jawfish, Opistognathus mexicanus Allen & Robertson, 1991.
- Robust jawfish, Opistognathus muscatensis (BoulengerGeorge Albert BoulengerGeorge Albert Boulenger FRS was a Belgian-British zoologist who identified over 2000 new animal species, chiefly fish, reptiles and amphibians.-Life:...
, 1887). - Birdled jawfish, Opistognathus nigromarginatus RüppellEduard RüppellWilhelm Peter Eduard Simon Rüppell was a German naturalist and explorer. Rüppell is occasionally transliterated to "Rueppell" for the English alphabet....
, 1830. - Opistognathus nothus Smith-Vaniz, 1997.
- Panamanian jawfish, Opistognathus panamaensis Allen & Robertson, 1991.
- Papuan jawfish, Opistognathus papuensis (BleekerPieter BleekerPieter Bleeker was a Dutch medical doctor and ichthyologist, famous for his work on the fishes of East Asia – Atlas Ichthyologique des Orientales Neerlandaises – which was published 1862–1877....
, 1868). - Finespotted jawfish, Opistognathus punctatus (Peters, 1869).
- Randalls jawfish, Opistognathus randalli
- Leopard jawfish, Opistognathus reticulatus (McKay, 1969).
- Giant jawfish, Opistognathus rhomaleus (JordanDavid Starr JordanDavid Starr Jordan, Ph.D., LL.D. was a leading eugenicist, ichthyologist, educator and peace activist. He was president of Indiana University and Stanford University.-Early life and education:...
& Gilbert, 1882). - Spotfin jawfish, Opistognathus robinsi Smith-Vaniz, 1997.
- Opistognathus rosenbergii BleekerPieter BleekerPieter Bleeker was a Dutch medical doctor and ichthyologist, famous for his work on the fishes of East Asia – Atlas Ichthyologique des Orientales Neerlandaises – which was published 1862–1877....
, 1857. - Blue-spotted jawfish, Opistognathus rosenblattiOpistognathus rosenblattiOpistognathus rosenblatti is a jawfish from the Eastern Central Pacific. It occasionally makes its way into the aquarium trade. It grows to a size of 10cm in length....
Allen & Robertson, 1991. - Opistognathus rufilineatus Smith-Vaniz & Allen, 2007
- Bullseye jawfish, Opistognathus scops (Jenkins & Evermann, 1889).
- Opistognathus signatus Smith-Vaniz, 1997.
- Opistognathus solorensis BleekerPieter BleekerPieter Bleeker was a Dutch medical doctor and ichthyologist, famous for his work on the fishes of East Asia – Atlas Ichthyologique des Orientales Neerlandaises – which was published 1862–1877....
, 1853. - Dusky jawfish, Opistognathus whitehursti (Longley, 1927).
- Genus Stalix
- Stalix davidsheni Klausewitz, 1985.
- Stalix dicra Smith-Vaniz, 1989.
- Stalix eremia Smith-Vaniz, 1989.
- Stalix flavida Smith-Vaniz, 1989.
- Stalix histrio JordanDavid Starr JordanDavid Starr Jordan, Ph.D., LL.D. was a leading eugenicist, ichthyologist, educator and peace activist. He was president of Indiana University and Stanford University.-Early life and education:...
& SnyderJohn Otterbein SnyderJohn Otterbein Snyder was an American zoologist.As a student he met David Starr Jordan who inspired him to enter zoology. He eventually became a zoology instructor at Stanford University and served there from 1899 until 1943. He went on several major collecting expeditions aboard the USS Albatross...
, 1902. - Stalix immaculata Xu & Zhan, 1980.
- Stalix moenensis (Popta, 1922).
- Oman jawfish, Stalix omanensis Norman, 1939.
- Stalix sheni Smith-Vaniz, 1989.
- Stalix toyoshio Shinohara, 1999.
- Stalix versluysi (Weber, 1913).